This is the first in a series of Research Snapshots which are being produced for the Access to Justice for Older Victims of Sexual Assault project. Each Snapshot features a relevant research study or resource from Canada, or emerging topics that have been identified in other countries. Snapshot #1 summarizes research on Resident on Resident Abuse in Long-Term Care

Abstract"This paper reports on a collaborative digital arts project conducted with LGBT youth and seniors in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, funded by the B.C. Council to Reduce Elder Abuse and conducted by faculty members and a doctoral student from Simon Fraser University. In the project, youth and seniors worked together to produce the first Canadian materials on LGBT elder abuse—three digital videos and five informational posters. We report on the methods used to produce and disseminate the materials, and as we reflect on the project’s outcomes, we consider both the challenges and potential of digital literacies in this context."

ABSTRACT

Resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes resulting in deaths represent a growing concern among residents, family members, care providers, care advocacy organizations, and policy makers. Despite these concerns and experts’ predictions by which injurious and fatal incidents will increase in the coming years due to the projected growth in the number of people with dementia, no studies have been conducted in North America on these fatal incidents. This exploratory pilot study makes first steps towards bridging this major gap in research and practice. Using publicly available information (primarily newspaper articles and death review reports), practically useful patterns were identified pertaining to the circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of these incidents. The findings could inform various efforts to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances, keep vulnerable and frail residents safe, and encourage researchers to examine risk and protective factors for these incidents.

Citation:Eilon Caspi (2018): The circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes, Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2018.1474515.

''Despite an increasing literature related to elder abuse, sexual abuse of older persons in general and of vulnerable adults living in nursing homes in particular is still sparsely described. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of knowledge on the subject of sexual abuse against older nursing home residents through a literature review. Systematic searches in reference databases including Cinahl, Medline, OVID Nursing Database, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and SveMed + were conducted. Through several phases of selection of the articles, using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles were chosen for a deeper examination. Findings from the review show that sexual abuse occurs in nursing homes and that both older women and men are victims of sexual abuse. Perpetrators appear mainly to be staff and other residents and mainly to be men, but also women abuse both older men and older women. Findings from the literature review show that there is a need for knowledge and further research on the topic of sexual abuse against older residents in nursing homes. Furthermore, there is a need for good policies and reporting systems, as an important step in seriously addressing sexual abuse against older persons.

The main purpose of this study was to answer thefollowing: What knowledge do we have about sexual abuseof older nursing home residents? The concrete researchquestions were the following:

(1) How is sexual abuse defined in the studies?(2) What knowledge do we have about prevalence andtypes of sexual abuse in nursing homes?(3) What knowledge do we have about the characteristicsof the victims and perpetrators?(4)What do we know about the consequences for thevictims and perpetrators?(5) Do we know anything about how the nursing homesrespond to sexual abuse?''

''Longstanding divergences in the definitions and data elements used to collect information on Elder Abuse (EA) make it difficult to measure EA nationally, compare the problem across states, counties, and cities, and establish trends and patterns in the occurrence and experience of EA. To help remedy these problems and promote public health surveillance of EA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a diverse group of EA experts collaboratively produced version 1.0 of uniform definitions and recommended core data elements for possible use in standardizing the collection of EA data locally and nationally. Proposed uniform definitions were developed for the following phenomena (and for associated terms or elements that could be sources of confusion or disagreement): Elder Abuse, Involved Parties, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Neglect, Financial Abuse/Exploitation, Other Related Phenomena, Elder Abuse Circumstances or Consequences (associated concepts).(...)The development and use of uniform definitions and recommended core data elements is an important first component of a larger process addressing data collection features that cause important discrepancies, gaps, and limitations in what is known about EA. Their use may move the EA prevention field closer to obtaining robust epidemiologic estimates which may provide a stronger basis for evaluating population level prevention/intervention strategies and setting prevention priorities.

As with the other CDC guidelines for uniform definitions and recommended data elements, this initial release of Elder Abuse Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Core Data Elements, Version 1.0 is intended to serve as a starting point."

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